


Candles

by thedeathdeelers



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst, Birthday, Canon Compliant, Character Death, Fluff, Gen, Not Beta Read, Timeline, anyway it’s kinda cute kinda sad, but also not?, but i mean it’s luke we already know this, headcannon, observation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:15:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28690020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedeathdeelers/pseuds/thedeathdeelers
Summary: A peculiar obsession with candles. Birthday candles.
Relationships: Emily Patterson & Luke Patterson & Mitch Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	Candles

**Author's Note:**

> Another quick short oneshot based on a headcannon discussed on tumblr. 
> 
> Barely proofread, not beta-ed, wrote it while at work, etc.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think 🤗  
> find me on tumblr @thedeathdeelers

It was his 5th birthday, and he was so, _so_ excited. 

Birthdays meant cake, presents, music, friends, but most importantly, _candles_.  


You could try asking both Mitch and Emily Patterson why their six year old son was such a big fan of candles, but they honestly couldn’t tell you. What they could tell you, though, is that their son has been enamoured with the whole experience of blowing out candles before he even learned how to walk. 

The shiny bright light appealed to him in a way no one understood. Frankly no one really bothered to understand, but they always made sure they had enough candles for each of his birthdays (they knew that by the time they actually went through the motions of singing happy birthday, Luke would have gone through 5-6 candles before finally blowing out the right one. It was a process.) (They’d eventually learn to buy the never ending candles, the ones that were notoriously difficult to blow out. It helped them save up quite a bit).

It was nearly time to bring out the cake, and Luke was bouncing around the dining room table, impatiently waiting for the best part of his birthday. Sure he loves the presents, and loved having his friends, mainly his two _best_ friends over for this joyous occasion, but nothing beat the exhilaration he gotfrom staring at the shining burnint light in front of him and getting to blow it out, only to have his parents light it up again for

him. 

Finally, Luke spotted his mother rounding the corner out of the kitchen, moving slowly towards him carrying his cake. And there, right where they always were, adorning the cake and bathing it with warm light, sat his candles. All 5 of them! They just kept adding more each year! How many would he get next year!

Clapping his hands together in excitement, Luke moved behind his mother, getting into position for prime access. He was ready.

The cake was placed on the dining table, and before Emily had the time to even point her finger at her son to warn him, he had already jumped up and blown out the first flame.

Emily lifted her hand to her forehead, briefly closing her eyes and preparing herself for a long day. A deep breath, and her hand dropped back down, reaching into her pocket for the lighter. Just because she was hoping her son had outgrown his fascination with candles, it didn’t mean she didn’t come prepared. 

———

Long after that fateful night in 1995, the Pattersons still tried to keep up with tradition, readying a number of candles piled neatly to the side just in case, while lighting a sole one atop _his_ favourite chocolate cake. They’d both wait with baited breath as the candle flickered, but it never went out. It patiently sat on the cake, merrily burning away the wax, waiting for someone to blow it out. 

They would both stare until the very last second, and then simultaneously blow it out, hands clasped together, heads bowed.

It was never the same.

Until 2020.


End file.
